In an interview with Wired, Linus Torvalds said that around 2000, Steve Jobs offered him a place at Apple working on its Unix-based kernel. “Unix for the biggest user base: that was the pitch,” Torvalds says. However, he was no fan of Mac OS’s Mach kernel, and Jobs insisted that he drop working on Linux, something Torvalds refused to do. Instead, he continued his work with the open-source platform and now helps manage it on behalf of the Linux Foundation.
Linux creator turned down Apple job offer from Steve Jobs
In an interview with Wired, Linux creator Linus Torvalds discusses turning down a job offer from Apple CEO Steve Jobs, as well his work with the influential Linux platform.
In an interview with Wired, Linux creator Linus Torvalds discusses turning down a job offer from Apple CEO Steve Jobs, as well his work with the influential Linux platform.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
Torvald’s business ventures haven’t netted him the kind of wealth or fame that Jobs received, but he says he’s glad he concentrated on the technical aspects of Linux. “I’m very happy with feeling that I’ve done the right thing.” Linux has likely been better off for it: everything from the Android smartphone system to Red Hat’s enterprise OS has been built from the platform. There’s plenty more about Torvalds, including obsessive coffee-machine troubleshooting and open-source diving software development, in the interview and profile below.
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